Amy Vetter, CPA, yogi, and technologist, is the creator of the B3 Method of Business, Balance & Bliss, which helps professionals live more fulfilled, engaged, and connected lives. Come hear her inspirational message at the IMA^® (Institute of Management Accountants) Annual Conference & Expo (ACE2019), to be held at the Sheraton San Diego Hotel & Marina on June 15-19, 2019. Below, she shares some of her insights:

Why do you find work-life balance essential for any individual and how can it help one’s career and the company he or she works for?

Many of us can feel that there’s never enough time in the day to do the things we want to do because of the demands on us from work and home. This can create a sense of unhappiness, but we often cannot identify why we’re feeling the way we do. I have found that when you intentionally pause in your day and tap into yourself, you realize you have more control over your day than you think. This could be just pausing to take some full breaths throughout the day, listening to music, or going for a short walk. When you feel you have time to regularly disconnect and have moments to yourself, you feel more grounded and present for the people you work with and care about.

You’re a big believer in human connections. How can better human connections be formed when a company prioritizes technology, innovation, and most importantly, the human beings who are their employees?

When a business is implementing technology, the human impact often is not given the same amount of consideration as the business impact. That’s why it’s important that we also consider how stressful change can be for people and how to alleviate that stress, rather than create more. Be sensitive to how technology affects people. As leaders, for example, if you find that all communication is through email or phone, it’s important to build in time to be together to strengthen your team and company culture. When you’re in meetings together, set rules of engagement, such as turning on “do not disturb” notifications on your phone or computer so that you can be completely present for those you are with.

Automation and AI are drastically changing how work gets done. How do you see this changing the office environment and the human experience?

With AI and machine learning being able to complete repetitive tasks, it allows us to truly do what we were trained to do – spend more time solving business issues or providing analysis of possible opportunities to help the company grow. I call this shift becoming a “Cherished Advisor” -- when we become a strategic partner whom our stakeholders rely on and highly value when it comes to making business decisions. Being viewed as such a key resource in the organization that business leaders cannot imagine living without gives us something to strive for and our teams a goal to rally around.

How can organizations lacking culture develop an effective team dynamic with leaders who believe in the company’s cause?

Build in the fun! Work doesn’t have to be the same day in and day out. Create fun challenges in your group to share activities or hobbies that you do outside of work and with each other. Alternatively, take time either once a month or quarterly to do an outside activity as a group. Also, don’t forget to celebrate. When you’re all working hard toward a milestone, reap the reward and do something fun together to acknowledge that moment of completion. As leaders, when we become more human and lead by example, our teams feel more comfortable and engaged with the work they do and proud to be a part of the team they are on.

For a full list of ACE2019 speakers, visit www.imaconference.org.